


Love Again

by blossomwritesthings



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Angst, Based off a song, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Jurdan angst, Marriage, Mild Language, Some Humor, and a jude that won't take shit from him, angsty and heartbroken cardan, but when he finally sees her, cardan goes to the mortal world to find jude, cardan's first time in the mortal world, inspired by byun baekhyun's song 'love again', it looks like she's already found someone else to replace him, jude is banished and living her best life in the mortal world, meanwhile in elfhame cardan is doing everything to make her come back, post twk, the folk of air, what's new lol??!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27481900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blossomwritesthings/pseuds/blossomwritesthings
Summary: It's been four months since Cardan Greenbriar banished his wife, Jude Duarte. And he feels as if enough is enough.It is high time for him to venture into the mortal world and bring her - or, rather, convince her - back to his side.But what he finds there will force Cardan to reflect on their relationship; and not in a good way.* ~ Reminder: ~ *PG-13: lotss of angst, hurt feelings and emotions are high, some mild language, and briefmentions/references to sexual themes. If you are not comfortable with any of the following; please stopreading now. Otherwise, enjoy!
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 29
Kudos: 102





	1. The palace gates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝Tell me once again. Tell me you love me like you did that day.❞ 

" _My King_ , I cannot let you go this way." A court official exclaims as he tries to stop the High King of Elfhame, Cardan Greenbriar, from leaving the palace. It's half-past eleven at night; _a perfect time to escape Elfhame unnoticed_. 

The king stops in his tracks, clenching his fists in silent anger. "Courtier Laurel, if you _do not_ get out of my way in five seconds, I swear upon my father's grave you will never see Elfhame again." 

The elder man's eyes widen in surprise, but still- he does not back down, chasing after Cardan as he passes through the palaces' large gates.

"It is not safe for you to travel to the mortal world without a structured plan, My Lord!" He shouts. He is trying to catch up to Cardan, who is now ten paces ahead of him. 

Cardan Greenbriar has very long legs. 

The King suddenly turns around, a sneer on his face. "I will not be traveling alone. _Taryn Duarte_ will be leading me to the uncharted land." 

"My King- _wait_!" Courtier Laurel says, as he finally grabs ahold of Cardan's sleeve. The young man turns around on his heel again- and this time, his eyes are lit with a passionate fire of rage. 

"I will do _whatever_ it takes to find _my wife_ , _The High Queen of Elfhame_ , Laurel. And nothing- _no one_ is going to stop me." 

He rips his arm away from the courtier and climbs atop a snow-white steed. Cardan looks towards the elder man and gives him a nod. He urges the horse forward, and the large creature breaks into a gallop. And he heads silently toward Taryn Duarte's house, leaving a shocked _Courtier Laurel_ in the dust of his horse. 

When Cardan knocks at Taryn's door, it takes some time for someone to answer. 

A small maid opens the large oak doors. Her eyes widen upon seeing the _King_. "M-my King, what may I help you with?" 

"Where is Taryn Duarte?" Cardan asks simply. 

The maid raises her hand and points to the nearby stables. "She is in the stables, _My Lord_." 

The King says nothing more but merely walks over to the large wooden structure. When he sees Taryn, he freezes in his tracks. 

_From behind, she reminds him so much of Jude_. 

Of the love of his life- who he foolishly banished from Elfhame four months ago. 

" _Taryn_." He finally calls out, and his voice makes her turn around. Cardan's heart pounds in his shirt. He's afraid it will jump out of his chest. She looks _just_ like Jude...

_Yet, at the same time- nothing like her at all_. 

Taryn looks like a softer, _rounder_ version of Jude. Someone completely and utterly innocent, with big, round eyes and a soft mouth. Although, Cardan knows she's far from _innocent_. 

" _My King_ ," she says with a bow of her head. "Are you ready for our trip?"

"Yes," the High King replies, but he still cannot shake the image of Jude from his mind. 

He _still_ cannot erase the look on Jude's face as he denied her place by his side. _Still_ cannot shake the guilt that washed over him as the words spilled from his lips on that one- _fateful day._ _Still_ cannot block out Jude's curses and yells as she was forcibly removed from her very own _home_. 

_As she was pulled away from his side_. 

Cardan Greenbriar has regretted that one decision he made every day that she is gone. Every day that he does not see her face in _the Court_. Every day that he does not get to hear her silky-smooth voice. Every day that he does not get to feel her warm skin shiver under his touch.

At first, he had wondered why she had never replied to his letters. But then, it became all too apparent to him. 

_She most-likely hates him- loathes him_. 

She probably wants to slit his throat and strangle him and drown him in the Sea of Elfhame. But Cardan's biggest fear isn't what will happen when he finds her- when they finally see each other after so long. 

_No_ , he isn't worried about what she will do to him. _Because frankly, he deserves every cut and bruise she will give him_. 

Cardan Greenbriar's biggest fear is the thought of _someone else_. 

_That someone else might be by her side now; in the place of him._

_~ To be continued... ~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got inspired to write this from some posts I saw on Pinterest the other day, and Baekhyun's song 'Love Again.'  
> I don't know how regular updates will be since life is quite hectic right now and I'm still in the process of writing  
> this story ahah...so I can't promise anything solid yet...
> 
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoy! Make sure to comment your thoughts below, and thank for reading! :))


	2. What ifs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝I couldn't believe it. Everything about you was like looking in the mirror,  
> we were so much alike. But your lips that had spoken of love don't say a word, like  
> they're locked shut.❞ 

* * *

Cardan often wonders if there's someone else by her side at this very moment; speaking words of love into her ears, trailing their fingers down her milky skin, looking at her with admiration in their eyes, comforting her in times of trouble. 

Every time he thinks about the possibility, the knife of hurt only stabs deeper into his heart. 

What if...

_What if_...

_What if she has found another partner already_? 

_What if she doesn't care for him anymore_? 

_What if she had never loved him in the first place_? 

_What if...she has already forgotten about him_? 

Cardan shook the fear from his mind. He can only focus on one thing at a time. 

He'll have to face that mountain when he comes to it. 

But in the meantime, he has to overcome his _first_ obstacle- _getting to the mortal world_. 

" _So_ , you just take these reeds and chant the saying?" Cardan asks Taryn. They're now standing just outside the barn on her estate. 

"Yes. Vivi used to do it all the time, back when..." she lets her voice trail off at the end of her words. 

Back when Vivi was still in Elfhame. 

_Back when Jude wasn't banished_ , Cardan thinks. 

The High King of Elfhame says the magical words, and two white-and-grey speckled steeds are before his eyes moments later. They'll have to ride bareback. 

Cardan curses to himself. 

"You lead the way," he says just after they have mounted their horses. He turns to the twin sister of Jude. 

She says nothing but merely leads her horse forward. And before Cardan even realizes it- they are flying high in the sky, above the Sea of Elfhame. 

"It's beautiful up here," Cardan says over the wind. 

"Jude used to say the same thing," Taryn replies. 

And when Cardan turns at the sound of his wife's name- he catches a glimpse of the look on Taryn's face. Her lips are turned down into a frown, and her eyes are cloudy with uncertainty.

_He has almost forgotten that he isn't the only one_...that he isn't the only one on Jude's _bad side_. 

After Taryn had betrayed her sister, the two of them haven't spoken to one another. Taryn frequently attends The Court, but amongst their many conversations, Taryn never mentions Jude. She never says _anything_ about taking a trip to the mortal world. 

Cardan wonders who has it worse? _Is it him, who has banished his wife from the very land she has grown up in- denying all of her claims to the throne_? 

_Or is it Taryn, who has betrayed her sister by siding with their despicable father, Madoc- pretending to be Jude at one time and deceiving Cardan into giving up half his army and severing Madoc's ties with the Blood Crown_? 

Both seem equally as bad to Cardan. But to Jude... _she_ might think differently. 

_To Jude, his betrayal might be the worse of the two_. 

And Cardan dreads the thought of what that means for him... 

_For their relationship_. 

"We're here," Taryn says after some time of flying. She doesn't get off of her horse but merely watches- as Cardan dismounts onto the hard earth. 

"Are you staying too?" He asks. Cardan Greenbriar takes a look around him. He has never been to the mortal world before. 

_It is nothing like Elfhame_. 

"No, I will not," she begins, nervously twisting her fingers in the horse's thick mane. "The horses only last for twelve hours. You'll have to find your way back to Elfhame on your own." 

"I understand," Cardan says. He leads his horse over into the nearby woods and lets it graze on the clover there. He most likely _won't_ be using it again. 

_That is- unless Jude is quick to forgive him and they return to Elfhame before the next evening_. 

"Thank you for the help, Taryn," he says softly. Cardan looks up at his wife's twin sister and she gives him a quick nod. 

"Good luck," she responds. A moment later, Taryn is turning around and speeding back the way they came. 

Cardan closes his eyes and takes a deep sigh of relief. 

He's finally here. He's made it. 

_Now, all he has to do is find his banished wife_. 

And somehow convince her to forgive him. 

And take her back to Elfhame with him. 

_How hard can it be_? 

_But with Jude, nothing is easy_. _And Cardan knows that fact all-to-well_.

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life is very hectic atm, but I can officially say that I've completed writing this little series (woohoo)!  
> I am still in the process of editing/finalizing everything, but updates will be regular from now-on  
> (expect once a week). 
> 
> Also, I want to thank everyone for the love and support you guys have been giving me these past  
> couple of weeks. I am truly overwhelmed with joy by reading your guys' comments about my work,  
> and seeing how random strangers are taking interest in what I'm writing makes me soo happy. So,  
> thanks for that. :))


	3. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝I can't understand with my heart why you said you loved me,  
> but now you're trying to run away.❞ 

* * *

_Cardan Greenbriar is no fool_. He knows the strong grudges his wife can hold against people. And he also knows that there is no protection over him in t _hat_ regard. 

The High King of Elfhame strides through the grassy fields, following the lights of the town- or ' _city_ ,' as mortals like to call it. 

It is just past midnight. _Perfect timing to find the love of his life_. 

Cardan hopes that Jude is still living on the same time as Elfhame. Otherwise, it will prove to be much harder to find, and convince her of certain things, if Cardan is a sleep-deprived version of himself. 

There aren't many mortals outside. Cardan remembers Jude trying to explain to him how _mortals don't live like Fae_. How most of them spent their lives awake during the day and went to bed in the evening. 

_Where is the fun in that_? Cardan had always replied, whenever Jude tried to explain to him how mortals lived. 

The High King of Elfhame makes his way into the center of the town. It isn't a very big place. Most stores are closed- but the ones that are open look seedy and dirty. 

_And Cardan is much too prim and proper to go amongst the likes of dirty mortals and stinky, hidden Fae_. 

There aren't many mortals - _people -_ out on the streets, but the ones that Cardan _does_ see are dressed in rags, and either look _too scrawny or too plump_. 

The High King lets a scoff escape his lips, as he silently walks down the main road of the little town in _Maine_. 

He racks his brain for what Taryn and Vivi have told him about the mortal world. What they have told him about Vivi's apartment. It is white and dark blue, with a few short steps outside and a quaint little front door. There is a forest just behind the small apartment, a park out front and a few stores surrounding the building. 

Cardan looks to his left after some time and stops in his tracks. 

There, he sees a line of cookie-cutter apartments on a cobble-stone road and a dark forest just behind the short buildings. A quaint park was just in front of the dwellings. 

He makes his way down the thing mortals call 'a _sidewalk_ ,' and when he gets to Vivi's - _Jude's_ \- house, the breath catches in his throat. 

Cardan steps away from the house and into the thick of a nearby tree in the park. He watches the house silently. _There is no movement whatsoever_. 

None outside. 

None _inside_. 

None in the windows. 

_Is this even the right place_? Cardan thinks to himself. _What if they have moved, over the course of Jude's banishment_? 

Cardan suddenly begins to panic. What will he do _then_? How will he _ever_ find her? He remembers his wife telling him once how the mortal world is vast and expanse. He had asked if it was just as large as Faerie, but she said ' _no_ , _it is much bigger than anything you could ever imagine_.' 

Cardan swallows down his anxiety before he takes a seat on a nearby park bench. He'll have to wait and see what will happen next. He will wait until daylight comes- _if that's what it takes_. 

He wonders if Jude has got acclimated to the mortal's preposterous time schedules. 

_She must have_. 

_That's why she isn't out of the apartment yet_. 

Cardan hasn't eaten a single morsel of food since breakfast this evening. The eels in his stomach have been twisting too violently to allow him to down anything more than a handful of nuts, a small piece of bread, and a glass of wine. 

But he isn't hungry. 

_He'll rather starve to death, then miss catching Jude_. 

_Then miss seeing her face- her body, after so long_. 

A shiver runs up the length of his spine at just the thought of seeing her again. Cardan has no idea if it will even be _possible_ , but he'll try anything - _do anything_ \- to _make it work_. 

_Anything for his High Queen_. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm posting this wayy later than I wanted to. Initially, I had said that I had finished writing the series,  
> and was merely editing it...but going back and reading the final piece again; I thought it was quite lacking-  
> especially the ending and how it was all wrapped-up. So I decided to revamp it and am writing most of the  
> middle-part of the fanfic again. It will probably be a little bit longer now (chapter-wise), but I hope you guys  
> enjoy it nevertheless! 
> 
> Have a blessed day everyone~ :))


	4. To not see another sunrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝So that the race of our love can never end babe.  
> If you turn away now, we can never come back to this.❞ 

* * *

The hours seem to drag on. To Cardan, _it feels like the longest day of his entire life_. 

He has been slumped on the seat of the same park bench for _hours_ , staring blankly at the house in front of him. 

But when the first rays of sunlight begin to rise above the forest's tree line, he notices a figure coming out of the dark woods. Pushing through the morning's thick fog. 

And he _knows_. 

_He knows_ , and his entire body begins to shake with the knowledge. 

She is _ethereal_. 

_Mortally beautiful, like she's always been_. 

She strides toward the apartment, and as she nears closer, Cardan gets a better look at her. 

Her dark brown hair is longer than before- now mid-back length and braided down the center of her head. She has regained the weight from when Cardan was still _just the youngest prince of Eldred, the late High King of Elfhame._ Her hips are wider than before and he notices the curves and dips of every crevice on her body. She is dressed in completely dark clothes - a baggy, black shirt and tight, black pants with bulky shoes. 

When Cardan had first laid eyes on her that day that she had risen from the ocean of Elfhame- his heart had stopped beating erratically in his chest and had fallen to the lowest part of his stomach. 

She had looked like a mere _carcass_ of what Jude Duarte had always seemed to him. No longer had she been she the strong, powerful woman, Cardan had come to grow fond of.

_No, on that day, she is the complete opposite_. 

The fire had dimmed in her eyes. Her cheeks had sunk in with under-nourishment. Her skin shone with an odd _blue_ tint. And her shoulders were turned downward. 

_Defeated_. 

But _this_ Jude Duarte... _this_ is the one Cardan has always known. 

She has gotten tanner, as well. Her skin glows in the faint light of the rising sun. Her face is turned down, as she looks at a _peculiar metal brick_ that she holds in her hands. 

Is that the thing mortals call ' _phones_?' Cardan thinks to himself at that moment. 

But then she shoves the strange item into her pants pocket and looks up. 

_And Cardan's heart both rises and sinks in his chest at the same time_. 

Her hazel eyes are alight with that same fiery passion as before. Her mouth is still soft and plump, set in a firm line of _perpetual annoyance at anyone and anything_. Her eyebrows and nose and cheekbones are still _just as regal as ever_. 

But then Cardan's gaze falls to the wound on her neck. It looks bad. 

_Really bad_. 

A piece of white cloth- _most likely ripped from Jude's shirt_ , is tied around the wound. _But Cardan can make out the red spot staining the cloth even from miles away_. Jude touches the gnash and winces at the pain. 

His fists shake and he clenches his jaw upon the sight. 

_What has happened_? 

_Who has hurt her_? 

_Who would do such a thing to the High Queen of Elfhame_? 

_Who would commit such treason against Cardan Greenbrair's very own wife_? 

Cardan doesn't know all of the answers, but one thing he is sure of is that-

The person- or... _thing,_ that has hurt Jude so will not leave unscathed. 

_Hell, they may never live to see another sunrise_. 

And Cardan can't guarantee that their demise won't be from his _hand_. 

Because frankly, he is seething with anger at the thought of some _filth of the earth_ getting close enough to his wife- _his Jude_ \- to cause such wounds. 

_No- they definitely won't live to see another sunrise_. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll are getting two chapters for this update (yipee!). I had originally planned for this fic to only  
> be a couple of chapters, but now it has spiraled into something much bigger than I could have ever  
> imagined...and I've just finished writing chapter twelve ahah.
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoy these next two parts- they were a blast to write! ;) Also, if you guys see any  
> grammatical errors regarding simple past/part participle verbs, please let me know in the comments! I  
> usually write using past tense verbs, so writing this fic with present tense ones has got me combing through  
> and changing everything to make sure it all makes sense lol...


	5. Revolting sustenance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝Tell me once again, baby. Say that you love me again.❞ 

* * *

Even though Jude is injured, she doesn't seem in any haste to get back to the apartment. She walks about leisurely, her eyes scanning the area. 

_Making sure there is no more danger,_ Cardan thinks to himself. And his heartstrings pull at just the mere thought of her being in such danger, that even _he_ can't help her. 

_Like when she was locked deep below the Sea of Elfhame_. 

He _hates_ her being in the mortal world like this. He _hates_ that he can't see and protect and keep her safe. 

_He just wants this long nightmare to end...For his wife to come home_. 

Cardan is brought out of his thoughts as Jude takes the steps up to the apartment's door. And only when her back is turned to him does he notice the slight change in her demeanor - her shoulders slump and she moves sluggishly. 

_So that had been an act_. To tell any immediate danger in the area that she isn't afraid of them- or... _it -_ and that she is always ready to fight. 

_But how can she possibly be ready to fight when she's always injured_? Cardan thinks to himself. 

She enters the house, slamming the door behind her. Cardan watches, and waits. 

He can't see anything. Can't see into the house. The morning sunlight is too blinding against the glass windowpanes. 

He suddenly feels the gnawing of hunger grip his stomach. He _knows_ he has to get some food in his system if he is to keep up his strength. 

_It is already bad enough that he'll have to stay up all day long._

He knows that Jude will be in the house for a long time - probably getting some sleep and treating her wounds and fueling up before another day in _the grueling mortal world_. 

At least, that's what he _hopes_ she'll do anyway- as he turns and makes his way to the nearest restaurant. He plucks a few leaves from a nearby tree along the way, turning them into mortal currency with ease. _He'll need it to buy food_. 

_The eatery_ is a small place. It reads ' _Hal's Breakfast Diner_ ' on the outside. Booths line the walls of the building, and the sun is shining through the large windows that are all around the vicinity of the establishment. 

There's is a bar area and stools in front of a long countertop. Everything on the menu looks gross and unhealthy, but Cardan does not remark it to the waitress as she shows him to one of the barstools. 

"And what would you like today, _pumpkin_?" She asks in a drawl, getting her pen and notebook ready. She is an elderly woman, short and plump, with a kind face and grey hair. Cardan reads the badge on her apron - the woman's name is...' _Betty_.'

_What an odd name_ , he thinks to himself. 

Cardan resists the urge to wipe the stupid smile off her face and proclaim to the entire mortal world that he is _The High King of Elfhame_ \- right then and there. 

But alas, he resists _all_ urges and manages to keep a straight voice and face. _He must ignore the senseless comments if he is to get out of this entire ordeal alive_. 

_They don't know who you are. They don't know your place in Court_. He thinks to himself at that moment. 

"I will take Hal's breakfast special," Cardan reads carefully. The words on the menu are so jumbled and smudged he can barely make them out. 

"And would you like wheat or white toast with that?" 

"Wheat." 

The waitress smiles. "Alright, _pumpkin_ , I'll be right out with your food." 

Cardan nods his head and sits there silently. There is a weird contraption in the corner of the ceiling to his right. It is in the shape of a box but is lit up and playing something - showing _other mortals_. It displays mortals running around on a grassy field, kicking a white, round sphere. Then, it suddenly cuts to flashing lights and a man talking expressively with loud body language. 

Cardan's brows fur. _What the hell is this_? _And why the hell are mortals entertained by such things_? 

He hears a low chuckle behind him suddenly, and he turns to see the waitress looking at him with a smile on her face. "Never seen a tv before, _honey_?" 

And when he says nothing in reply, the elderly woman laughs again, before pointing to the glaring screen before Cardan. "That's called _soccer_. Very popular in these parts of the country." 

" _I've never heard of it before_ ," Cardan says, trying to make it seem like he understands every single word that is coming out of the waitresses' lips - but in all honesty, _he has no clue what to make of it all_. 

"It's... _intriguing_ , to say the least." He says after a long pause of silence. A moment later, _Betty_ places a steaming white plate before him. 

"Eat up, _pumpkin_." 

The High King of Elfhame looks down at the huge, white porcelain plate before his eyes. The food is piled so high, it threatens to fall over the sides. There are two fried eggs, what looks to be like roasted potatoes, ' _wheat bread_ ' as mortals like to call it, and short strips of something brown and crusty. 

_Disgusting_ , Cardan thinks to himself. _No wonder mortals are so fat...if they eat this garbage all the time, they are all bound to gain pounds by the hundreds_. 

Cardan forces himself to eat - and each bite he shallows, _he battles silently against his own mind_. 

_If I'm to keep up my strength for when I finally meet Jude, I need to eat. Even if the food is quite...trifling_. 

Cardan wonders if this meal will be the hardest mountain he'll have to overcome during his stay in the mortal world. 

But then he stops that thought. 

_If he is going up against Jude - nothing can compare to that mountain_. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter that's more on the funnier side of things, so I hope you guys enjoyed that. It sure was  
> a lot of fun to write...
> 
> Also, when I write about Cardan's thoughts of the mortal world and it's inhabitants, I am in no way-  
> shape or form, speaking of my own beliefs of said things or people. I'm merely trying to get into  
> The High King's sparkly shoes and write from his point of view- I'm trying to see and imagine stuff as he would ahah. 
> 
> *Also, side note, this has nothing to do with the fic at all, but I'm currently OBSESSED with DDLJ, and I have listened  
> to Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko To Pyar Sajna and Mere Khwabon Mein about a hundred times in the span of one week lol!


	6. If looks could kill...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝Don't leave me alone, baby. Just stay for the night baby.❞ 

* * *

Cardan manages to finish his entire ' _breakfast_ ,' thanks _Betty_ , and dashes out of the grimy eatery within an hour

Not much time passes. He had looked at the clock in the diner just before leaving. It had read-only _at nine o'clock in the morning_. 

_Gosh, he has a long way to go_. 

The High King of Elfhame silently makes his way back to the park just in front of Jude's house. This is his best bet to try and meet her. _And hopefully this time, he'll be able to have the balls to confront his wife_. 

He sits down on the same park bench as before and watches the house. The little park must be a popular area for mortals - because, at this time of the morning, they lurk everywhere; some running, some walking, and the especially fat ones sitting and lazy around. 

Cardan scoffs. _Despicable mortals_. But then he remembers that his wife is a mortal, and so is her twin sister - _and the two women aren't as despicable as he had initially thought them to be_. 

_So maybe all of these mortals aren't as bad as he thinks, either_? 

He watches the house for a long time, and the sun slowly rises in the sky with each passing hour. Cardan can sense the odd woozy feeling that comes with not getting enough sleep. He can feel his mind slowly becoming fuzzy with watching the same spot for hours on end. 

_And then- just when he is almost defeated- he sees her_. 

She is dressed differently than before. She is now in tight, white pants and a dark-blue top that is cut just below his bellow button. The fabric hugs every curve of her body _perfectly_. She's wearing her hair down, the waves reaching behind her back and some strands braided on the side of her head. White flats adorn her feet. 

It looks like she's dressed up to go out somewhere. 

Somewhere _special_. 

_To **see** someone special_. 

But then Cardan notices another figure walk out the front door of the apartment, and his speeding heart calms somewhat. Oak's sandy-blonde hair pops up beside Jude. He is dressed casually - brown short pants, a plain green shirt, and simple brown shoes. 

Cardan himself has _tried_ to dress as simply as he can - otherwise, _he will stick out too much in the mortal world_. But as he looked on at his closet back in Elfhame, just before he had left the palace, _that point proved to be quite hard_. 

He had found something decent - a black, long-sleeved shirt that has a slightly low v-neck cutout with billowy ruffles around the cuffs and neck, simple black pants, and plain black shoes. He'd _carefully_ tucked his tail into the side of his pants, making it barely visible. _No need for mortals to see that and lose their minds over it_. He'd forgone the silver and gold face paint and has traveled bare-faced (something he rarely does in Elfhame when greeting other living beings, _save for Jude_ ). His black, curly hair is unruly and swept up in a tizzy from the strong winds of _Maine_. 

He watches silently, and listens, as Jude tells her little brother something, making him laugh. _Oak is becoming quite the young man_. 

But then, Jude scans her surroundings, and her eyes sweep over Cardan's figure hidden in the park just before her. 

The breath in his throat catches in a mix of anticipation and worry. 

She doesn't see him. 

But then...

_Then_...

Her eyes slide back to his form in a matter of seconds. She looks at him. Holds his gaze. 

_And the world stops_. 

_Time stops_. 

_And all that matters to Cardan is Jude in that very moment_. 

What she will do...What she will do with seeing her husband in the mortal world. With laying her eyes upon him after _four months_. 

Cardan's heart beats like a wild beast in his chest. His breath comes out shallow. The wind ceases to move, and the entire air around Cardan seems to _stop_. The trees stop moving and the grass stops crunching.

Jude _looks_ at him. 

And her face conveys all of the emotions that Cardan _knows_ she will have. 

_If looks could kill, Cardan would be dead in an instant_. 

Her eyes glaze over in bitter disgust - and even from here, a good two miles away from his wife - Cardan can _see_ her fists ball, jaw tighten, the furrow in her brow. 

She doesn't move. Oak pulls at her hand to leave the apartment; but she stands firm, like a statue. 

_The couple is sharing one, long look - transcending all lifetimes and memories_. 

Cardan dares not move - for fear that Jude will suddenly act brash and come running after him. 

But after another moment, she merely presses her lips together in a firm line. And before Cardan can even _blink_ , she's getting into that metal box that mortals call ' _cars_ ,' and she's driving away. 

_She doesn't even look back at him_. 

_Almost like...she wants to forget that she even saw him here in the mortal world. Like...she wants to ignore that he ever even existed in the first place_. 

And Cardan wonders where she's going...all dressed up like that, and _who she's meeting_. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a HOT MINUTE since I've updated this fic sksksk...so sorry for the long wait, guys.  
> Christmas break was very hectic, I've been busy with school and I'm focusing most of my attention  
> on a new story I've been brainstorming about/writing for the past few months or so. 
> 
> It's all finally coming together, but I also want to let you all know that I haven't forgot about you guys -  
> I'm still here, and I will continue to upload new chapters of this work, and other things too as much as I  
> can. I'm not going anywhere...much to the dismay of my rivals hehehe... ;) 
> 
> And as they always say..."Life is crazy, but not as crazy as Cardan Greenbrair can be while drunk on fairy wine." ;))


	7. Complete opposites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝Tell me that you won't leave me. Tell me you'll love again.❞ 

* * *

He _can't_ let her get away. Cardan Greenbriar can't stand to see Jude like that... _dressed_ like that, leaving somewhere with Oak. So he runs to the nearest street, looks for a yellow car that Jude had once called a ' _taxi_ ,' and tells the driver to follow after Jude's black one. Cardan still has quite a lot of money in his pocket. He'll be able to pay the taxi driver a good amount of cash.

The drive feels like an eternity. But in no time at all, Cardan has paid the driver and is currently taking-in his surrounding. 

He is faced with a _humungous_ building - even bigger than the palace of Elfhame. It is tall and wide and stretches for _miles_ before him. There is a huge red sign on the front of the structure that reads ' _Goldenhills Mall_.'

_So this is that type of thing Jude had tried to explain before_ , Cardan thinks to himself. It is where supposed families spend their whole days shopping and eating, and playing. Cardan had once asked if they drank wine and danced. Jude had said that the mortals did _nothing of the sort_. 

Cardan stands behind a large bush, watching as Oak gets out of Jude's car. They exchange a few words, and then Jude is speeding away, down some sort of tunnel next to the ' _mall_.' 

There is no way that he can hail another taxi to follow her, so he decides to follow her little brother instead. _She'll have to come back for him eventually_. 

Oak makes his way into the huge building, giggling at something on his _phone_. 

The mall is even _more_ spacious inside. There are about five floors to the place and _dozens upon dozens_ of shops on each one. Cardan can count twenty just around where he is standing. It is fairly busy, but not overly crowded. That's how Cardan knows it isn't the ' _weekend_.' Jude had once told him that the malls were crazy on weekends. 

Cardan trails behind Oak, keeping a good amount of distance between himself and the young Faerie. But Oak is oblivious to it all. He merely walks one way and continues to look downward at that _weird metal contraption_.

_After all, that Oak has lived through and witnessed in Elfhame, the boy is still innocent-minded_ , Cardan thinks. _Good_. 

Oak suddenly stops near a store that sells _horrid_ pieces of clothing. Everything is drab and oversized. _Nothing like how the fanciful Folk of Elfhame dress_.

And then he notices Jude out of the corner of his eye. He makes himself small and slinks into the shadows of a nearby shop. All of the time spent training in the Court of Shadows has greatly improved his skills in stealth. He is close enough to hear the two of them speak to one another after a moment. 

"I parked the car," Jude says, and just the _sound_ of her voice leaves Cardan reeling with an overwhelming amount of desire. He can't believe he's seeing her again - alive and looking _so well_. 

"Do I _have_ to stay with you? You guys always do such boring things." Oak complains, shoving his phone into his shorts pocket. 

Cardan wonders what Oak means by ' _guys_.'

Jude frowns. "We don't always do boring things. And Vivi will kill me with her own bare hands if I let you roam around the mall by yourself." 

' _We_?' 

There is quiet between the two of them, and Cardan watches- while the siblings battle in a silent contest of staring. Oak is a fighter. He's grown much since the last time Cardan has been him. 

" _Fine_ ," _his wife_ sighs, exasperated. "But you better meet me back here at four o'clock." 

Oak's face brightens and he leans up to place a gentle kiss against his sister's cheek. " _Oh_ , thank you, Jude!" He runs off before she can say anything else. 

The gears in Cardan's mind begin to turn, as he thinks through his next move. _Should he confront Jude right here, right now? She seems so relaxed and...somewhat happy, even_. 

But before he can decide on anything, Jude turns and makes her way through the mall. He has no choice but to follow her silently. 

The High King of Elfhame is surprised at the fact that Jude's guard is slightly down. She isn't constantly checking over her shoulder, she doesn't seem nervous, and she isn't... _angry_. 

Despite her wound - which Cardan had noticed she had properly bandaged up and hid under a scarf tied around her neck - she seems... _happy_. 

_Or maybe that's just what Cardan wants to see_. 

_Maybe that's what his mind tells him, that way he doesn't have to face the truth of her heartbreak_. 

Because in the end...it is all _his_ fault. 

Because _he_ is the one for all of the heartbreak. 

Jude walks a little way until seemingly getting to her destination. It is a small shop that sells hot drinks and pastries. It is the first mortal food that looks remotely _appetizing_ to Cardan. 

She enters the shop and goes over to a young man sitting at a table in the far right corner. Cardan is too far away to hear anything, but she says something to the man to make him look up. He has a smile on his face when he catches her eye and places his phone down on the table imminently. 

Cardan watches, silently, as the young man rises from his seat. He towers over Jude- but isn't _quite_ as tall as Cardan. The mortal has sandy-blond hair that is short and cropped to his head, a slightly tan complexion, crystal blue eyes, and soft, pink lips. He is attractive- for mortal standards. 

And The High King of Elfhame observes...as this _mortal_ wraps his arms around Jude and pulls her close to him. Cardan's heart stops beating at the sound of her giggle. His muscles begin to relax in pain, as the man brings his face close to Jude's and presses his lips to hers. 

The eel coils in Cardan's stomach. He feels nauseous with rage. He wants to march right up to them and declare his position and pull Jude away from this scum of a mortal.

_But against all that he is- he does nothing of the sort_. 

He just stands there, like a useless coward, and watches them caress each other _like they had been a happily married couple for ten years_. The man seems very affectionate towards Jude. But Cardan _knows_ his wife better than anyone in the mortal and Faerie world. 

He can _tell_ when she doesn't feel right about something. 

He can _sense_ her unease, her hesitant touch. Maybe it's his primal instincts coming back to him from the time when he was cursed to be a snake - preying on anything that was helplessly alive. She is holding herself back...but Cardan doesn't know _why,_ exactly. 

They exchange a few words, and both sit down after a few seconds. 

Cardan Greenbrair's mind is racing with absurd thoughts. 

He doesn't know what to do. 

_What to say_. 

_How to act._

His heart is tearing in both disgust and pain, his ears ringing with rage, his jaw clenching in appallment.

He can't sit in the restaurant they are in. _Jude will notice him right away_. So he chooses a seat in another nearby establishment. There, he has a clear view of the two of them. Both of their faces shine under the shop's bright lights. 

_Cardan wants to erase this entire day from his memory. He wants to gouge his eyes out to try and ignore it all. Wants to rip his heart out of his chest so it won't hurt so damn much anymore_. 

_So she has found someone new_ , he thinks to himself. 

And as Cardan looks on at the mortal before his very own wife; he realizes how opposite the mortal looks compared to himself. _If The High King of Elfhame is a regal, dark crow, this man is a soft, dove of light_.

_They are complete opposites_. 

It is no coincidence that Jude is attracted to _him_. _Of course, she'll want a man who doesn't look anything like her past-lover. Of course, she doesn't want some dark-haired, tall, brooding mortal for a partner_. 

_Jude Duarte is trying to erase Cardan Greenbriar from her entire life as best as she can_. 

_And taking up a new lover is a good way of going about it_. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOHOO!! That's right guys...I'm not only uploading one chapter, but...THREE!!! I think you all deserve it after such  
> a long wait ehehe...this one is more on the angsty side, but I promise you- there is LOTS more where that  
> came from. ;);)


	8. A tiger's growl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝Come back to me again. Tell me you'll love again, babe.❞ 

* * *

Cardan shallows as he watches the two of them. The man will say something, and then Jude will laugh softly at his remark. At some point, he reaches his hand across the table and holds hers. 

Cardan is a flurry of emotions. He doesn't know how to feel. He is angry and sad and heartbroken and...and- so many other things he can't even explain to himself; let alone someone _else_. 

Jude and the man stay in the shop for more than _three_ hours; chatting and laughing and drinking their hot beverages. 

The High King has to remind himself of where he is; that this is the mortal world...that this is Jude's _new_ _home_. Of course, she will feel safe and happy _here_. It's like if Cardan had been forced from Elfhame as a little boy and had to live in the mortal world. If he ever got the chance to visit Elfhame; _of course_ he'd never want to leave. 

He laughs to himself. He was so _foolish-_ to think that Jude will want to get back together with him willingly. Why will she ever want to come back and live in Elfhame with him, when she has the mortal world? Which is safe and fun and relaxing? 

Jude and the man - _Cardan doesn't want to refer to them as a couple just yet_ \- stand up from their seats after a long time. The man kisses Jude again, and Cardan notices how rigid her body becomes. As straight as a metal rod. 

"I'll see you later, Jude!" The man exclaims as he waves her way. 

And as soon as the man is gone, Jude slumps in her chair. She looks _exhausted_. _Like she has just been run over by a mighty horse_. She does _not_ look like the current picture of happiness. 

She looks _so_ unhappy. 

_Was that all just for show? Was she faking all of that?_

Jude sits there, in the restaurant, for a while. And when she finally gets up, Cardan knows where she's going. She's supposed to meet up with Oak again, downstairs. 

But Cardan is no fool. 

He sees the furrow in his wife's brow, sees how her shoulders slump down slightly, sees how her jaw is set into place stubbornly. 

_She's in pain_. 

It shines clearly in her eyes. The glazed-over look she had worn regularly in Elfhame makes it's appearance once again to Cardan. 

_And Cardan hates every second of it. He hates seeing her like that; pretending like everything is well and okay_. 

When in reality... _everything is living hell and complicated and messy and fickle_. 

The rest of the way home is uneventful. Oak converses with Jude the entire way from the mall to the car, but she makes little acknowledgment of him. Cardan hails yet _another_ taxi and follows them back to Vivi's apartment. 

Oak gets out first when they arrive home, skipping up the steps to the door. Cardan sits in the taxi, _waiting and watching_ \- for Jude to also get out. But she stays in that _weird metal machine_ for what feels like an eternity, until _finally_ \- she emerges from the car. 

_She doesn't look any different_ , he thinks to himself at that moment. Cardan wonders why it has taken her so long to get out of the car. He traces Jude's body as she makes her way into the apartment, and only after she _slams_ the front door close behind her does he pay the taxi driver. 

Cardan walks back to the same park bench from earlier in the day, when he had been watching for the first glimpse of _his wife_. He wonders why no one ever sits down on the hard object. _Surprising, seeing as most mortals are unhealthy, lazy beings_. 

The High King of Elfhame sits and observes the sky, as the sun slowly sinks into the horizon. The colors are beautiful- _not as pretty as they are in Elfhame_ \- but the soft hues of pinks and purple cast a serene and quiet outlook on the otherwise drab mortal world.

Cardan can start to physically feel his eyes grow heavy. He feels the familiar crawl of hunger at his stomach. He doesn't know how much longer he can take. The exhaustion hits him like a charging steed. And he knows that he cannot leave Elfhame without a king for very long; _else the entirety of Faerie will be in complete chaos and shambles by the time he arrives home_. 

But he doesn't know what else he can do other than suffer through all the heartbreak and hunger and exhaustion. 

_Should he go to Vivi's apartment and demand to talk to Jude_? _Should he interrogate her about who that mortal was back at the 'mall?_ ' _Should he ask what their relationship is_? _Should he ask Jude if she still considers herself to be his wife_? 

_Or should he just forget the whole thing and go home to Faerie_? Maybe it is better this way. To leave Jude in the mortal world and let her continue to date that mortal man - or, even _different_ people. 

He is at a loss. 

He is sleep deprived and starved and melancholy and confused. 

Cardan sits there on that bench for what feels like _hours_. The sky turns itself over to the darkness. He feels the air cool, as the night drawls on. The stars shine clearly in the sky. They remind him of Jude. Remind him of all of his failures and successes. 

"What are you _doing_ here?" He hears someone break the quiet. He hasn't heard a voice in _hours_. 

And he doesn't even have to see the person to know who it is. 

Cardan Greenbriar freezes in his spot. His spine goes rigid like stone and his jaw sets into place to better stell himself. This is the moment that he has been waiting - a _nd hoping for_ \- for four months now. 

" _I asked_ ," she begins, her tone as low as a tiger's growl, " _what the **hell** are you doing here_?"

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to go downnn ya'll!!! And I'm sooo here for it. ;) Also, I have a new unhealthy obbsession  
> with Christian Yu. He gives off such hard Cardan vibes it's not even funny ya'll. And the way he looks in his  
> mvs...hmmm boi can choke me any day of the week and I wouldn't complain. :)) I'd highly recommend that  
> you guys check out his music on Youtube: 'No Bluberries' and 'So Beautiful' are my two favorites! ^^


	9. Threats made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝Come back to me again. I want to put everything back the way it was.❞ 

* * *

She comes around the corner, from behind him, and stands in front of his body. Blocking him from running anywhere. There is a safe amount of distance between them. She is dressed in the same outfit as before. The moonlight casts a warm glow against her figure. 

_She looks stunning at that very moment_. 

" _Jude_ , I-" Cardan begins but is cut off by his wife charging at him. In a split second, his back is pressed against the nearest tree-trunk, and a knife is pushed against his throat. 

"I don't care what _pathetic_ excuse you might have," she says in the lowest tone Cardan has ever heard fall from her lips. "No matter _what_ lies you spew, I will _never_ trust you. _Ever_." 

There is a beat of silence between them, and Cardan takes a few short breaths to steel himself. 

"It was a riddle." 

" _What_?" 

The confusion on her face stabs a cold knife into Cardan's heart. _So she hasn't figured it out yet_. She hasn't realized that Cardan had specifically worded her banishment so that she _could_ come back to Elfhame- anytime she wants. 

"The day you... _left_ Elfhame- the decree I made to banish you was a riddle. I thought you would figure it out quickly and return to my side." Cardan begins to say, slowly. 

And when Jude says nothing, he presses on. 

"I-I _wrote_ to you, Jude. I thought you had gotten all of my letters but had ignored them." 

Something flashes in her eyes, and she frowns. But the knife does not pull away from Cardan's throat. 

_No_ , the flame of rage is still alight in his wife's eyes. 

"I _thought_ I could move on, I did. I _thought_ I could forget you and leave you alone- to live your own life in your world," he says, and now his voice is just barely above a whisper. "But against everything I told myself- I _couldn't_. I _couldn't_ get you out of my head or forget your presence. I couldn't do any of it, so I decided to come to the mortal world, and _find_ you." 

"How long have you been here?" 

"I just arrived last night." 

There is silence. Everything is paused, and at a standstill- in anticipation of what Jude will say in reply to all of Cardan's words. He feels his breath hitch in his chest, and his throat starts to close up in anxiety. His eyes focus solely on the young woman before his eyes. 

"Do you _really_ expect me to trust you after everything you've done?" She finally asks. 

"No, I don't, but-" 

"How could I _ever_ come back to live with you in that horrid world when the very person I entrusted my life with banished me from the place I had called home for almost the entirety of my life?" 

And when her voice cracks, Cardan's heart crumbles along with it. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect you to forget _anything_. But, I sincerely confess- there _is_ a part of me that wishes that you would." 

Tears brim Jude's eyes now. Her jaw is clenched in suppressed anger. Cardan might seem calm on the surface, but on the inside, he is nearing his _very own breaking point_. 

"That will _never_ happen," she curses lowly. "I have always hated you, but your betrayal has only reinforced that hatred. I was a _fool_ to believe that you weren't toying with me. To believe that you weren't doing everything for the benefit of your wellbeing." 

Cardan stays silent at that comment. _Jude is right_. He _has_ been selfish and vile and despicable- on multiple occasions. 

But despite all of his vaults and lies - he has never lied about his feelings for his wife. He has been truly sincere. _But that doesn't seem to matter anymore_. Jude will never accept him back into her heart after what he had done to her. 

"I saw you at the _mall_ earlier today," Cardan says after a few moments of silence. His level tone breaks the barrier of quiet that has enveloped both of them. 

The knife eases from his neck slightly, and Jude presses her lips together in a firm line. A sign that she is holding herself back; but from _what_ , Cardan does not quite know yet. "What did you see?" 

" _You and a man_. On some sort of _outing_..." he lets his voice trail off, looking up into his wife's eyes at the last moment. " _Kissing one another_." 

The words fall from his lips and dance on the breeze. They twirl around the young couple and tease Cardan's skin with goosebumps, they glide between Jude's dark locks of hair. It has a wicked playfulness about it.

Jude's lips part in shock. " _So what_? Why do _you_ care?" 

" _Jude_ , you can't honestly think that I don't have feelings for you." 

The knife is back to being pressed against his skin within mere seconds. 

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you - _trust you_ \- again." 

Cardan Greenbriar closes his eyes to try and manage his cool persona. Now is _not_ the time to go off on a rant about how difficult Jude can be sometimes. And when he opens them, he is met with a _different_ pair of orbs. 

They are soft in the slightest of ways. The moonlight pours into them and illuminates the chestnut brown. There, the light dances hesitantly. 

_That is better than nothing_ , Cardan thinks to himself at that moment. 

"If I didn't have feelings for you, why would I ever spend the time writing and sending all of those _letters_? If I didn't have feelings for you why would I worry constantly if you were alright in the mortal world? 

"If I didn't have feelings for you, why would I come here to find you- and convince you to come back to Elfhame and live by my side. If I didn't have feelings for you, why would my heart sink, and break in my stomach, as I watched you _kiss a mortal man_?" 

Cardan's last words come out in a breathless whisper. Something changes in Jude's face. She is _breaking_. Cardan is succeeding in his mission. 

_He almost has her back at his side_. 

"His name is _Ryan_ and he's a nice guy. He doesn't try to trick me, or lie or cheat or do any of the wicked things _you've_ done. He cares for me, and I like that." 

_Almost_ has her back. 

"But you don't love him." 

Jude glares his way. "Don't make statements on relationships you know nothing about." 

Cardan blinks, and he can feel the eel of anxiousness coil and writhe in his stomach for the hundredth time that day. "I _saw_ it in your face- in your eyes. You're not happy, you're _miserable_. Not even a ' _nice guy_ ' like him will take away your pain, Jude." 

And after he says those few words, the world grows silent again. Jude says nothing, and Cardan dares not to make another remark. He's afraid she'll go through with using that knife on him. 

"Just get out of my life, Cardan." 

It is the first time The High King of Elfhame has heard his wife call him by his _real_ name in over four months. 

And it feels _good_. 

_So good_ , a shiver runs up the length of his spine. 

"Not until you stop lying to me and tell me how you truly feel," Cardan begins to say, "not until you tell me how you got that wound on your neck."

Jude finally pulls the knife away from Cardan's throat. "Get out of my sight, or I will slit your throat right here- _right now_." She says the words with such a demanding tone. She completely avoided his questions. _Typical_. 

She is back in control of the situation, once again. 

And she _knows_ it. 

"Jude, _please_ -" 

The High Queen of Elfhame pushes her husband out of the way and begins making her way back to her apartment. 

"Jude, _wait_!" Cardan calls after her, running to catch up to her side. 

She quickly turns around on her heels and looks Cardan straight in the eyes. Her gaze is fiercely piercing, yet sad all at the same time. "And if I _ever_ see you around these parts again, I swear on my parent's _grave_ that you - and your entire court - will be dead within a _night_." 

Her words cut like knives to his skin, laced with venomous poison. 

Cardan Greenbriar is so stunned by the threat, he doesn't make the effort to catch up with her. He doesn't stop her from entering Vivi's apartment again or slamming the door shut behind her. 

He just slumps back on the park bench and holds his head in his hands, shaking it _over and over again_. 

There is no way in _hell_ that she is happy. A mortal with the name Ryan can _never_ do that for Jude. 

There is only one person in both the mortal and Faerie worlds- who can make her feel special and loved and cherished - _and that is Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame_. 

But it is all over now. He has made his case. He has fought the good fight. _No use in crying over spilled milk._

Jude Duarte has made her threats. Spit her venom. Bared her teeth. She has made it known what she thinks of him and his despicable life. 

And now he has to accept the truth... 

That she truly _is_ repulsed by the sight of him - by the very thought of him and Faerie and everything that he lives and strives for.

Cardan _knows,_ deep down in his heart, that he will never get over her. There is no ' _getting over_ ' someone as significant as Jude Duarte. But alas, it never will be the same again, without her ever coming back to Elfhame. 

For four months, he has nursed the thought that she'll be by his side again. That he'll get to see her shining face and hear her lulling voice and feel her soft skin. 

But none of that matters anymore. None of that can be true anymore. His wild fantasies about _his queen_ are as significant as the millions of grains of sand laid across the shore of Elfhame. 

Cardan Greenbrair's reality is a very shitty one indeed. It isn't pretty or happy or satisfying. 

He had betrayed his very own wife, and as a result- has forced her to hate him with everything she has in her. 

_Serves him right_. 

_He deserves it, after everything he has put Jude and her entire family through_. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thank you so, so much for being so patient with me in regards to the updates of this fic. Currently,  
> uni has been very stressful and I'm so busy with other acitivies that I can hardly find the time to sit down  
> and write/update this work TT. Plus, there has been some drama between some of my friends recently,  
> and I really want to devote a lot of my attention to strengthening my bonds with them and being by their sides  
> than spending it on writing. 
> 
> Hope that makes sense uwu. And as always, thanks for reading and commenting (kudos are highly appreciated)! :))


	10. The sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trigger warning is put in the beginning of this fic for **se*ual ass*ult** and is again mentioned when marking the  
> end of the trigger. Also, please note that there WILL be some brief mentions of **se*ual ass*ult** throughout this   
> fanfiction. Please read with caution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ 
> 
> ❝I'm where I've always been, I still love you. You filled up my everything.❞

* * *

*** !! TRIGGER WARNING AHEAD: MENTION OF SE*UAL ASS*ULT !! ***

Cardan is purely and utterly exhausted when he gets to his ' _hotel_ ' later that night. He had grabbed a quick bite to eat after his encounter with Jude in the park and has headed to the nearest motel. The room is small, with only a rickety bed, a tiny nightstand and ' _tv,_ ' and a moldy bathroom that stinks of the sewer. 

Cardan is so repulsed by everything he doesn't even want to lay down on the bed. But the moment his head hits the pillow, his eyes are closed and he is asleep within seconds. 

And he has the worst nightmare imaginable. 

He watches, helplessly, as Jude traipses around with that mortal named _Ryan_. It seems like they're having a good time, but then the happy moments turn suddenly into something darker- something much more sinister. 

And Cardan sees that _sick mortal_ push Jude up against a wall in a dark room. He's too close to her and saying things Cardan can't hear and his hands are trailing all around her body like she's some newfound wonder. 

Like she's some show- some museum he must learn everything about. 

Cardan screams and shouts and tries to rip the sick mortal right in front of his eyes into two pieces. But none of it works. And he watches- helplessly, as the love of his life, his very own wife, is forced to _make love to a man she doesn't even love_. 

The High King wakes up with a gasp, and he can feel his heart racing a mile a minute. He pressed his palm against his chest, trying to steady his breathing. 

He tries to convince himself that it is _just a bad dream_. That _Ryan wouldn't hurt Jude in that way_. 

But his mind doesn't listen to his heart's pleading. His mind goes over the countless things Ryan could do to his wife. Goes over every little detail he could remember about the mortal. 

And then he remembers something about his eyes...

Something about the way he had gazed at Jude, the way he had held her and kissed her- it was too forced. Ryan is too cocky for his good. He knows what he wants. And he has a sure plan of getting to that destination. 

*** !! END OF TRIGGER WARNING !! ***

Cardan is sure of it now. It all became so clear to him. 

And while he knows that in most circumstances Jude could take her of herself perfectly well, that she could defend herself against any foe. He also knows that she is rather fragile at this moment. She's blinded by her rage for himself, she's trying so hard to push him out of her life and her heart and her mind- that she's going along with whatever Ryan tells of her. 

She's nearing the edge of a cliff, and Ryan is the one who's leading her forward. 

Cardan starts to wrack his brain for what he should do. He needs to make a plan, and fast. Before it's too late and he loses Jude to the very man she claims she now _loves_. 

If he doesn't act fast, she won't be able to be saved. He must do something; anything. But he can't take too long in saving her, otherwise, he will put his throne in jeopardy. If he is away from Elfhame for too long, the evil Fae of the land will take over in a matter of days. 

For the rest of the night, The High King of Elfhame devises a plan. He cannot sit at that park bench all day and hope to run into his wife again. He must visit her home. 

He must talk with her sister, Vivi. 

Cardan hasn't slept a wink. He has stayed up all night, devising a plan. He's out of his hotel door and standing on Vivi's doorstep by nine in the morning. He no longer feels tired. He is energized by the danger- by just the thought of him saving his wife. 

But, he is slightly hungry. _Damn his appetite_. 

He had taken watch outside the apartment and made sure Jude had left the house before he rang the doorbell. He breathed in slowly, trying to calm his racing heart. _He had no idea how Vivi would react to seeing her sister's tyrannical heartbreaker after four month_ s. 

_And he hopes their encounter isn't as bad as it was with Jude_. 

He is greeted with Vivi's face a few moments later. She looks the same. Blond hair and golden eyes and pointed ears and slightly tan skin. 

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asks immediately, but her tone isn't one of anger. It's annoying...almost like she has expected him. 

_Jude might have told her about their encounter the night before_. 

"I need your help." 

Cardan watches, as the beautiful Fae before him crosses her thin arms, a smug look now on her face. "And why in the world would I _ever_ do that?" 

"Because- your sister's life...her dignity...is on the line," The High King replies in an equally-tight voice. 

She frowns. "If this is you trying to get back together with her, then you're not as smart as I took you for in the first place," her sharp eyes squinted in the early morning sunlight. "Because I swear- for as long as I am alive and well on this earth or Faerie earth, I will _never_ let you get close to her again." 

This is what he was afraid of. But he has to keep pressing on- for Jude's sake. 

"Please, Vivi. It's Ryan." 

She looks up at him, and this time a full-fledged smirk spreads across her thin lips. "Ah, so this is your attempt to try and rip her away from her _new boyfriend_." 

Cardan shakes his head. "Yes- yes it is. I have good reason to believe he isn't a good man. I have a hunch that he will try to hurt Jude. I know these kinds of things because I've also tried to hurt and trick her... _in the past,"_ he explained calmly, and surprisingly, Vivi let him continue without objection. "I know these people, Vivi. I can see when things are about to take a turn for the worse. So please- _help me_." 

There is silence between the two Fae, as they have a staring contest. 

And finally, Vivi breaks the tight air with an exasperated sigh, saying, " _fine_ , come inside." 

She leads The High King of Elfhame through the doorframe to her apartment, and he is immediately transported into an entirely different world. 

The place is relatively small- with a small kitchen and dining area to his left, a living space down the hallway, and he presumes the bedrooms are upstairs. 

But he gets whiplash at it all. He sees Jude's things everywhere- her clothes, her shoes. They are much simpler than how they looked back in Faerie, but even still- he knows what kind of stuff she wears even in the mortal world. 

And the _smell_...

Oh, gosh- the entire place smells like _her_. Like warm spices and dirt and the crisp cool air-laid deeply in a forest. Cardan takes a deep breath, soaking it all in. 

"You look like shit," Vivi comments, as she walks over to the kitchenette. "Let me make you something to eat, and you can tell me your... _story_." 

Cardan tells her everything as she prepares something of sustenance for him. She says nothing, as he retells how he got to the mortal's world and how he followed her little brother and sister into the mall, and his encounter with Jude. And, finally, his nightmare about Ryan and Jude, and his plan on what to do next. 

"Eat up," she finally says, placing a white porcelain plate down in front of him. "It's not what you're used to in Elfhame, but it's the closest thing." 

Cardan is astonished at her kindness. But when he looks up at her with his eyes wide, he sees her glare. _Right, she's only doing this to get him to leave faster_. 

"What exactly _is_ this?" he asks, looking down at the place before him. It's filled with fluffy, yellow mounds and what he presumes is _toast_ and...an apple. 

Vivi lets out a cynical laugh. "Those orange things are scrambled eggs." 

The High King says nothing more and eats. Surprisingly, it's better than what he had at the diner the day before. 

" _So_ , what do you think of my plan?" he finally asks, after he has finished his meal. 

Vivi is drinking some brown liquid from a cup, and she stirs it with a spoon absently. "I think...y _ou're royally fucked_." 

Cardan frowns. That is not the response he had wanted to hear at the moment- but it is the response he had expected. 

"And why would you say _that_?" 

"Because...Jude is never going to fall for it. She's too smart to play into one of your traps again-" 

"It's not a trap." 

She waves her hand in the air dismissively. " _Whatever._ Anyway, it's never going to work. She'll realize what you're doing the moment she sees you again. Didn't she say she'll kill your entire family if she sees you again?" 

"Yes, but that was just a figure of speech, you know how Jude can be sometimes," Cardan says, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. 

Vivi abruptly throws her head back and cackles rather loudly. " _Jude_? Make baseless death threats? Where have you been for the last seventeen years?" 

"I can't just stand by and watch as the love of my life is taken advantage of by a sick mortal being." Cardan suddenly shouts, standing up from his chair in rage. His fists are balled at his sides. 

Vivi looks up at him. "There is no way you can convince her to leave him. She's dating him to avoid her feelings- to not think about you anymore. She'll never give up the safety of taking her mind off of _you_." 

Vivi is now standing as well, a lazy expression on her face. 

"There _must_ be a way," Cardan begins to say, turning to the young woman before him and pleading with his eyes. " _Please_ , Vivi, just _help_ me." 

There is silence, as she considers what she should do, then, she finally says, "okay, I will _try_ and talk to her about Ryan. But- you must promise me one thing." 

"What is it? I'll do anything." 

Vivi steps up to him, her face inches away from his own. Her gaze has changed from passive to _cold as ice_. 

"If- within three days, you do not succeed in your plan, you will return to Elfhame and never step foot in the mortal world again," she says in the lowest tone Cardan has ever heard come from her. "And if you so happen as to even _try_ and get into contact with Jude- _try_ to trick her again, and if you fail, I will have you beheaded _myself_." 

Cardan expects nothing less from his kind. From a woman, who has grown up without the luxury of ever being loved by her _father_. 

" _Deal_." He says, and he shakes Vivi's slim hand to seal the promise. 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! I'm once again uplodaing 2 chapters at once for you guys! I've actually combined furthur chapters so that it doesn't  
> get too long and is easier for me to manage - so here's to hoping that helps me update more frequently haha! Also, get  
> ready guys, because shits about to go downn in the next few chapters lol. As always, kudos and comments are much  
> appreciated~ ^^


End file.
